ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Metternich Stela

The Metternich Stela is a big stone tablet with ancient writing on it. It was found in Egypt a long time ago, and it tells us about a queen named Hatshepsut and what she did during her reign as pharaoh.

You see, Hatshepsut was a very special queen. She was one of the very few women who became a pharaoh in ancient Egypt. She ruled for a long time and did many important things for her kingdom.

The Metternich Stela tells us about one of those important things. It shows pictures and words that tell a story about how Hatshepsut led an expedition to a place called Punt. Punt was a faraway land that had many amazing and valuable things, like gold, precious stones, and beautiful trees.

Hatshepsut wanted to get these things for her kingdom, so she organized a big trip to Punt with a lot of people and ships. The stela shows pictures of the Egyptians sailing on boats and trading with the people of Punt. They brought back many wonderful things from that land.

One of the interesting things about the Metternich Stela is that it also tells us about the gods that the Egyptians worshiped during that time. It shows the gods being worshipped and the rituals that the Egyptians performed to honor them.

So, in simple words, the Metternich Stela is a big stone tablet with pictures and writing that tells us about a brave and powerful queen named Hatshepsut and her journey to a faraway land called Punt. It also tells us about the gods that the ancient Egyptians believed in. It is a really cool artifact that helps us understand the history and culture of ancient Egypt.